A large influx of waste to Decatur County’s Construction and Demolition Landfill at the Decatur County Solid Waste Facility has called for an expansion to the area.

Decatur County’s cleanup of Hurricane Michael debris over the last nine months has created consistently high daily averages at the C&D landfill. In January 2018, the C&D total was 534.08, with a daily average of 22.25. In January 2019, the daily average reached 6,637.53 with a daily average of 265.5, almost 12 times the amount as the year before.

Decatur County Administrator Alan Thomas expected the current C&D landfill to meet its capacity in the next 6-12 months, possibly sooner depending on how the 2019 hurricane season affects Decatur County. To extend the C&D landfill’s life, a proposed 2.6 acres of additional C&D disposal space within the existing permit boundaries and another five acres of area to create a 200-foot buffer adjacent to the property was unanimously approved by the Decatur County Board of Commissioners.

The proposed expansion is to the western side of the property. A 200-foot buffer currently surrounds the entirety of the property where the Decatur County Solid Waste Facility is located, as mandated by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

“By keeping the expansion of the waste footprint within the property, this will help expedite approval from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division so the county can meet the waste management needs before the current footprint meets capacity,” said Thomas.

The C&D Landfill is 4.75 acres, as it is currently designed. The proposed expansion would move the C&D landfill to 7.35 acres.

The capacity of the Decatur County landfill is evaluated on an annual basis. The 2019 study is currently under evaluation, said Thomas.

The Decatur County Waste Facility is located at 104 Mine Loop Road in Attapulgus.